United
States try to find a solution with the surplus of MRAP vehicles from Iraq
and Afghanistan.

The
Pentagon is trying to decide what to do with its fleet of Mine Resistant
Armored Protected (MRAP) vehicles now that operations in Afghanistan and
Iraq are winding down. The MRAP was rushed to Iraq to provide troops with
better protection from roadside bombs. The Army and Marine Corps have
tens of thousands of MRAPs, but no assurances of sufficient funding to
store and maintain these vehicles. Now, the Pentagon is struggling to
determine what to do with them.

At the height of the insurgency
in Iraq, MRAPs were an essential and life-saving asset for front-line
Army and Marine units confronting improvised explosive devices, commonly
referred to as IEDs.

With the Iraq war over and
the troops' days in Afghanistan numbered, the U.S. military, particularly
the Army and Marine Corps, is trying to figure out what to do with the
thousands of MRAPs in its inventories, the Washington Post is reporting.

Odd as it may seem, the MRAP
-- technically known as the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle
-- is viewed by some as a relic of sorts, an armored vehicle probably
ill-suited for many future operations, according to the Post article.
They are ill-suited because of today's concerted focus on preparing
and equipping the military for missions that demand lighter, more versatile
vehicles.

Five years ago, the Post
reported, the military began ordering nearly 28,000 MRAPs, armored vehicles
with a V-shaped undercarriage designed to deflect and better absorb
the explosive thrust of an IED. For the most part, they proved quite
effective.

The majority of the vehicles
in the inventory belong to the Army and Marine Corps. The Army has completed
two studies on the issue, though no final decision has been reached
on what to do with the surplus of MRAP vehicles, according to the Washington
Post.

Some of the MRAPs likely
will be kept in reserve while others may be sold to allies, used by
other federal agencies or scrapped, the Post reported.